Serum erythroferrone diagnostic value in patients with beta-thalassemia with iron overload

Introduction Patients with beta-thalassemia experience a major complication besides their anemia, which is the iron overload and its complications up to death. Erythroferrone (ERFE) and hepcidin are the major controlling factors for serum iron level, being inversely related to each other. Patients with iron overload are thought to have low serum hepcidin and high serum ERFE levels. So, serum ERFE is postulated to be involved in the pathogenesis of iron overload in patients with beta-thalassemia. A cross-sectional study has been conducted, including 112 participants: 80 patients with beta-thalassemia and 32 healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls. Serum ERFE, ferritin, and hepcidin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared among patients with beta-thalassemia and healthy controls. Patients had significantly higher serum ferritin, ERFE, as well as lower serum hepcidin levels as compared with healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls, with P values less than 0.001, less than 0.001, and 0.045, respectively. Serum ERFE may serve as an important marker for iron overload and may represent a future possible therapeutic target using anti-ERFE to control iron overload. (C) 2021 The Egyptian Journal of Haematology